Monday, July 18, 2016

Summer is here and a festival season in a full flow. Therefore there were numerous great artists releasing their work these days. However, there were plenty of disappointments as well. We will look at these artists: Scorpion Child, Rival Sons, Gwen Stefani, Beyoncé, Vektor, Year Of No Light, Iced Earth, Ayreon, Jorn, Nemesea, Katatonia, Lacuna Coil, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Gojira, Anohni, Myrkur, Blues Pills and Alanis Morissette.

Scorpion Child -

Acid Roulette

Raw flow of sexual energy and hell of a catchy melodies. No matter, if it's speedy hard rock, or emotional slower pieces. You shake your head like a horny pigeon. Except for that one minute long bullshit called Séance. A collection of distorted speeches hurt your head and bloody interacts the whole listening flow. I hate to take the music-player out every time it starts, to skip it. I'm just erasing this piece, if I want to enjoy the album as a whole.

No "click" office:

Well unfortunately I cannot say the same about Rival Sons, which were getting as a good red wine, better with every year. However this years' Hollow Bones is a pure dust. No heart, no soul and crap about black coffee? This is not Joe Bonamassa guys, with all respect to Joe, as he makes great wine from a crappy coffee. Somebody needs a broken heart here! CONFESSION TIME: Based on the recommendation from few people, I listened to the latest albums of Gwen Stefani and Beyoncé. Well, I cannot say I will do it sometime in a future ;D but creativity came from these strong ladies by having some shitty experience. Rival Sons - Don't get too comfortable, as a support of Black Sabbath on their current tour and get back to the true taste of life!

Year Of No Light – Nord nor apparently the best Iced Earth's album Something Wicked This Way Comes. I'm considering Ayreon's 01011001 as an absolute masterpiece; however it did not "click with The Human Equation from 2004.

Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio. My second most favorite singer of all time went absolutely nuts. Covers and his faces in C-class videos. Seriously?

Nemesea - R.I.P.

Nemesea - Uprise: So sad! I consider their 2004’s Mana as an absolute symphonic metal masterpiece. Yeah, it is not for everybody, but it was an absolute quality. Since then, it's sort of low class "catchy" "gothic" rock. I might call it sell-out, but let's just say, they like it more. :(

Hell of a disappointment

Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts. I love these guys. I could listen to the song Sold Heart any time, Night Is The New Day from 2009 is one my most favorite albums ever and I fully recommend to anybody even The Great Cold Distance or Dead End Kings. Katatonia is actually the only band on which my dad and my two uncles can agree on: AoR, Southern rock and melodic death metal guy! Can you imagine? But this time, I will not recommend them this album, as it seems as a bloody autopilot. No heart.

Lacuna Coil - Delirium. It gets even worse with Lacuna Coil. Since I was about 14, these guys were my most favorite female fronted band, even more than The Gathering. However, year by year, it's just paler, flatter... well, I just feel nothing. I'm not one of those - "Oh, I miss Lacuna Coil's EP days of 1998 or even Comalies hits." It's just, more crucial members you lose, the worse it gets. These guys knew how to pick a time to leave. :(

Only few people will understand this: "At one point I was nineteen." Thank you guys for so much, but now it's just a memory.

Still sth to believe in

Bob Dylan - Fallen Angels

"When somebody loves you, It's no good unless he loves you all the way."

I played this album during my sister's graduation...

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

I did my best. Gave their groundbreaking albums OK Computer, Kid A multiple tries and at least five, to their latest album, but no click. Few hints in incredible Daydreaming written about Radiohead singer Thom Yorke's separation from his partner of 23 years. But otherwise - not for me.

However once again proved: "Greatest creativity comes from pain"

Gojira - Magma

"Gojira Madafaka!"

That's an answer, if somebody asks me, what's happening in a metal music world today.

Ladies corner

Anohni - Hopelessness

I missed her performance at Sonar Barcelona, but I will do my best at Colours Of Ostrava. It's worth it, to seek beauties in ambient electronics.

Myrkur - Mausoleum EP

“Myrkur”, well that's a term which brings beautiful and sick feelings. Her music is simply breathtaking but her behavior can be sometimes, very nicely said "childish" as u can see from our interview. On the other hand, her work is showing the beauty of nature and deepest feelings from both heavenly melodies to the darkest shades of black metal. Myrkur always had a feeling for acoustic environments and on live EP Mausoleum she gives space to clear, gentle singing supported by girls choir. Enjoy seven songs in a refreshed arrangements, one new song and a Bathory cover. All sounds more than lofely, but once in a while, you wish to hear raging guitar, as even Blackmore's Night would be proud to create such melodies.

Blues Pills - Lady In Gold

I enjoy this album few weeks already! You'll do the same when it comes out! ;D

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

We have reached the second half of Best of 2015 albums. Find the first half here. I'm aware it's July already, but there is simply some time needed, to cover albums of the previous year, including number of my favourite yearly best of lists. Still, I'm sure, there are some breathtaking albums, I am not aware of yet...

11. Thy Catafalque - SgùrrSame as we tend to underestimate France, we would not normally put so much faith into Hungary. However, there are so many nice exceptions, as bands around Julie Kiss, from my gothic metal teenage days - Without Face and even better To-Mera. There is great sense for prog in Hungary and if you can imagine, this is a solo project of Tamás Kátai and it's very impressive. For the first time, I don't even mind the language...

12. David Koller - ČeskosLOVEnskoI love my country, but there are not so many musicians and bands to be proud of. David Koller - singer, drummer also known from Czech musical institution Lucie is hell of an exception.

13. Iron Maiden - The Book Of SoulsSome friends are making jokes about me once saying sth like: "There are more important things in live than to spend time on Iron Maiden." I still believe that, as they already played a incredible role in our lives. We were running around our rooms and air guitaring to a Brazilian 100 milion large crowd. After some time, we felt it's time to move on and discover new beauties. However we should never forget our roots and as Bruce Dickinson says: "Never lose that 14y old in you." Love u Iron Maiden and we always will.

14. Paradise Lost - The Plague WithinI skipped Moonspell in this list, but Paradise Lost deserve it for their retro/modern/best of sound. I miss my beard... :(

15. Avatarium - The Girl With The Raven MaskWho says you cannot be innovative with a rock band with a female singer?

16. David Gilmour - Rattle That LockReally beautiful. I didn't invest enough time into Pink Floyd, but I'm glad my older collegues are always pushing me, with their work to invest time into old classics as David Gilmour, Iggy Pop or Bob Dylan.

17. Tesseract - PolarisI'm a Tesseract addict since I heard for the first time Deception from their debut One in 2011. They went a long way since then on their third album Polaris and it takes a while, until you appreciate it, but it's worth it.

18. Modern Day Babylon - The Ocean Atlas EPDjentleman to be proud of from our lofely Czech Republic. Featuring amazing Plini.

19. Motorhead - Bad MagicR.I.P. Lemmy

20. Marilyn Manson - The Pale EmperorI never liked this guy. I guess it will stay the same, but this album was very rare positive surprise, related to his name